General Fishkeeping

Every pond needs some maintenance, and this can be a dilemma for wildlife ponds, where the temptation is to let nature take its course. After a growing season where pond plants can often do a little too well, autumn is the best time of year to carry out some cleaning, fits well with the seasonal activity of wildlife and sets the pond up for a more successful spring.

We love to see tank-bred saltwater fish in our stock tanks, and we’ve been eagerly anticipating these Yellow tangs (Zebrasoma flavescens) for a while. After decades of unrestricted availability, it may take a bit of getting used to that these familiar fish are now one of a number of more expensive tangs.

Bacterial infections in fish take a few forms, with both internal and external ailments presenting a range of symptoms. These pathogens can be very damaging, with diseases such as Columnaris/Mouth rot (Flavibacterium columnare) capable of killing fishes very rapidly. Here's everything you need to know to treat your fish.

It might be hard to imagine as we wait for the return of the summer barbeque weather, but this time of year can often bring problems as temperatures exceed the healthy range of our tropical pets. There are a few techniques that can prove useful when we get too much of a good thing…

Fungus, or Cotton Wool Disease is usually caused by Saprolegnia and tends to attack damaged tissues. Here's everything you need to know about how to spot the problem and how best to treat it. 

Firstly, I feel I need to apologise to you all as it’s been far too long since I last wrote this feature. In fact, I was extremely shocked to learn that my last piece was way back in October of last year but needless to say, one heck of a lot has happened since then….. Read on to find out what's been happening over the last few months at Maidenhead Aquatics by Stuart Ashley, one of our Senior Partners.

Garden ponds can be home to many fascinating creatures, some of which are useful to the pond keeper and help to balance vital dynamic processes. These are especially useful in the low-tech surroundings of the wildlife pond. Read more about the benefit of snails and mussels here.

If you’ve been looking longingly out the window yearning for some fresh air, then spare a thought for your fish – they live in an environment that depends on us to keep things sweet. Water changes are as much a part of the hobby as glass aquaria, so let’s look at what goes on inside the tiny world we create for our pets and how we can tweak things to make the most of maintenance.

There are many significant differences between ponds designed to cater for wildlife and those where fish are the priority. After a winter of heavy rain and the effects of accumulated leaf litter, it’s a good time to take a look at how fish health is impacted by KH or carbonate hardness. Find out more here:

Those of us who share our home with pets are luckier than most in a lockdown, particularly if those pets inhabit an aquarium. Studies have shown fish to be relaxing to watch and where better to escape miserable winter weather than a little tropical world of your own creation? With time on our hands, there’s plenty to be doing to make the most of this opportunity.

Fish are incredibly diverse and sophisticated animals. We’ve domesticated a few of them and still underestimate them - even when some of them have found a way to live in areas where’s there’s no water for months of the year...

White Spot (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) is one of the most common diseases in ornamental fish. Find out everything you need to know to care for your freshwater fish along with products you can use to treat this condition.

Check out the latest news in the fishkeeping industry as we all attempt to get back to some form of normality and find out about a number of new products to hit our stores very soon including a new product in our AquaCare range of treatments and a couple of fantastic new aquariums to look out for.

After weeks of lockdown and disruption on a global scale, and with things starting to return to a ‘new normal’, Paul Tapley offers some insight as to what to expect in our stores as lockdown starts to ease.

When you work in a fish shop, you get used to the fact that some fish don’t really sell themselves as much as the flamboyant livebearers or neons do.  These Cinderella fish don’t tend to blossom into full colour without time or the right conditions, such as a planted aquarium. Find out more...

When the holiday season stretches before us and thoughts turn to beaches and suntans (or even just getting away from the homes where we’ve spent those long weeks of lockdown!) many people wonder how best to care for the aquatic members of their family while they’re away enjoying a well-deserved break.

So, one more month has seemingly flown by as the UK increasingly continues to return to some form of ‘normality’ post-lockdown. Check out Stuart Ashley's latest article on what's happening at Maidenhead Aquatics this month. 

Stuart Ashley reflects on the challenges of the last few months and shares some of the latest news around new products in the industry and what's coming soon to Maidenhead Aquatics.

In response to the raging global pandemic, Tappers takes a look at a few viral fish diseases which no amount of hand washing can fix.

Like gardeners, aquarists are faced with a massive array of species to discus and not all of them have common names.Sadly the use of binomial names is often viewed as elitist or even mocked by those who don’t understand what they’re missing out on and to be fair, they’re not altogether unfounded. Read on...